Boerboel
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The Boerboel (Script error: No such module "IPA".) is a South African breed of large dog of mastiff type, used as a family guard dog. It is large, with a short coat, strong bone structure and well-developed muscles.
It is recognised by the Kennel Union of Southern Africa, but not by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale.[1]Template:R/superscript[2]Template:R/superscript
Legislation
In South Africa, the Animal Improvement Act (62 of 1998) defines a breed of animal indigenous to or developed in the republic to be a landrace,[3] therefore the Boerboel is regarded as a landrace in the republic.[4] The Act grants powers to a registered "animal breeders society", and the South African Boerboel Breeders' Society (SABBS) is a registered animal breeders society.[5] The SABBS is the only organisation authorised under the Act to officially register Boerboels. As legally registered custodian of the Boerboel dog breed, SABBS is responsible for the standards that govern identification, recording, evaluation and improvement of the breed.[4][6] The Kennel Union of Southern Africa recognises that Boerboels were registered on its books.[6]
History
The name Boerboel derives from the Afrikaans words Script error: No such module "Lang"., meaning farmer, and Script error: No such module "Lang"., a shortening of Script error: No such module "Lang"., meaning bulldog.[7]
The Boerboel descends from an old colonial cross-breed of mastiffs and bulldogs used both as a guard dog on remote farms and estates and for big game hunting, and known as the Boer Dog[8]Template:R/superscript or Boer Hunting Dog. An account from 1909 describes this cross-breed as the best dog for hunting leopards and baboons in packs; a leopard with a leg caught in a trap can be killed by a pack of them.[9]Template:R/superscript The Standard Encyclopaedia of Southern Africa describes the Boer Mastiff as an excellent fighter; one killed leopards in four single combats over a number of years, but was killed by a fifth.[10]
Breeding of the Boerboel began in the 1950s. A breed association, the Suid-Afrikaanse Boerboel Telersvereniging or South African Boerboel Breeders Association, was established in 1983.[11]Template:R/superscript A new association, the South African Boerboel Breeders' Society, was formed in 2012 and registered with the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 2014.[11]Template:R/superscript[12]Template:R/superscript
Characteristics
The Boerboel is a large dog, with a strong bone structure and well-developed muscles. The head is large and the muzzle is short.[1]Template:R/superscript[13]Template:R/superscript
The coat is short and sleek with dense hair coverage. The recognised colours are brindle, fawn, and brown; it may or may not have a black mask. There is one minor divergence between breed standards; the Kennel Union of South Africa does not accept black[1] but SABBS does.[14]
The dogs show courage when threatened;[1] they may display aggression toward other dogs or strangers.[15]
Health
The Boerboel may develop hip[16] or elbow dysplasia, vaginal hyperplasia,[17] ectropion and entropion.[18] Juvenile epilepsy (with attacks brought on by metabolic changes or stress) has been observed.[19]
Restrictions
Ownership of the dog is limited by law in many countries. Importation to Romania was prohibited in 2002, and ownership restricted to those with a court permit.[20] The breed was banned in Denmark in 2010,[21] in 2011 Russia designated it an "especially dangerous breed", subject to mandatory registration and certification,[22] and Ukraine has classified it as a dangerous dog, subject to mandatory microchipping, muzzle and civil liability insurance.[23]
It is also banned or prohibited in Bermuda,[24] France,[25] Mauritius,[26] and Qatar;[27] importation is prohibited in the Faroe Islands,[28] Singapore,[29] Tunisia[30] and the Turks and Caicos islands.[31]
References
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- ↑ a b c d KUSA Official Breed Standard: Boerboel (Working Group) Kennel Union of South Africa. Archived 19 October 2025.
- ↑ FCI breeds nomenclature: B. Fédération Cynologique Internationale. Accessed June 2022.
- ↑ Animal Improvement Act Government of South Africa 1998
- ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ REGISTRATION OF ANIMAL BREEDERS' SOCIETY
- ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Afrikaans-English, English-Afrikaans Dictionary Jan Kromhout (2001) Hippocrene Books, pp 24-25
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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- ↑ Standard Encyclopaedia of Southern Africa, Cape Town. South Africa, 1971. Volume 4, page 57
- ↑ a b A brief history of the Boerboel in Southern Africa. Kennel Union of South Africa. Accessed August 2022.
- ↑ J. Mamabolo (14 November 2014). Notice 980 of 2014: Registration of Animal Breeders' Society. Government Gazette. 80: 38188.
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